Video: Fort Smith Firefighters Battle House Fire

Video: Fort Smith Firefighters Battle House Fire

Rachel Rodemann • Times Record / Fort Smith firefighters work to extinguish a fire Thursday, April 10, 2014, at a townhouse at South P and 46th streets in Fort Smith. The fire caused an estimated $40,000 in damage. The resident was out of town, and firefighters salvaged most of his belongings.

Fort Smith firefighters extinguished a fire Thursday afternoon at a townhouse on South P Street, salvaging many of the belongings of the tenant, who was out of town.

Battalion Chief Boyd Waters said firefighters received the call about 12:47 p.m. of a structure fire at 4616 S. P St., unit B. Flames were coming from the northeast corner of the building, toward the back side of the unit.

Fire crews dispersed to the interior, back side and roof of the building to combat the blaze. Firefighters put out most of the fire from the inside while a team on the roof chainsawed the chimney off the building, Waters said.

Firefighters tore off the chimney as a precautionary measure because so much smoke was coming from it. The crew inside moved many of the tenant’s belongings to the couch and protected it with a salvage cover to prevent further damage from fire, smoke and water, Waters said.

It took about 20 minutes to get the fire under control. Waters estimated structural damage at about $40,000.

No one was in the home at the time of the fire. The townhouse manager notified the tenant of the fire at his home.

Damage was contained to the northeast corner of the unit, mostly to the outside structure. The fire did not damage the unit next door, Waters said.

No injuries were reported. A fire marshal will investigate to determine the cause of the fire, Waters said.